For the Love of a Tennis Player
by RidingtheRoughWaters
Summary: Ace and Clay both attend the Royal Tennis Academy and have been the best of friends for the longest time. Can Clay get himself to tell Ace he likes her? Or will fame and fortune go to her head?  Mario Tennis Power Tour
1. Chapter 1

For the Love of a Tennis Player

Chapter 1

Ace's POV

Hey. I'm Ace. I'm fourteen years old and I attend the Royal Tennis Academy. This is my first year. I'm the best player at the Academy. I've probably broken Alex's record to go through the ranks. Alex? He's the Academy's implied best player. He's graduating this year, but will come back in a couple years as a coach.

I was sleeping oh, SO, peacefully until _someone_ barged in through the door and shook me until I fell on the floor yelling, "Ace! Ace! Wake up! ACE!" I grunted and got up. It was Clay- my doubles partner and best friend.

"What the _fuck _could you possible want?" I snapped as groggy as I was.

"We're going to go train! We're going to be the best doubles team there ever was!" Clay declared as his hands flew up, then blinked and went back to shaking me saying, "C'mon! We gotta go!" Still waking up, it was just a loud of noise blaring through my eardrums that I just couldn't shake. I was still shaking as he had run to my closet and was grabbing my outfit for the day.

"Where are we going?" I yelled, over his loud rambling, holding my hands to my ears.

"Senior Court," he breathed as he tossed-no, _chucked_ the outfit and shoes into my abdomen. "Five minutes." Then he walked out of the room to give me some privacy. Ugh. Why did I agree to be his partner? Oh yea, because I _needed _a partner. Now? Now, I needed (er, wanted to actually) to chomp on someone's head and he filled the bill quite nicely. But that's because it was only six-thirty in the morning. Normally, we wake up on six in the morning. The only exception for today? Today was a Saturday! Can't wait to get my hands on him...

I threw on my short tennis dress. It's white and with bold red stripes on my sides. My skirt is the same shade as the stripes. Not to mention, I have a light red, not quite pink tennis shoes. After that I went in front of my mirror and put my hair into two ponytails.

"Ready," I smiled. I jumped out, grabbed my bag with all my tennis essentials, and my tennis racket. I left my room after checking off everything on my imaginary list. As I locked my door, I turned around only to find myself face-to-face with my partner Clay. And a little too close for my comfortability.

"Boo," he said calmly. Then started snickering. Feeling humiliated and embarrassed, I pushed him out of the way, starting to control and end his snickering session.

"Well, while you wait here like a giggling idiot, I'm going to go to Senior Court." I declared, with my hands on my hips. Then turned around, ran, and yelled in my mocking girly voice, "_See ya!_"


	2. Chapter 2

For the Love of a Tennis Player

Chapter 2

Ace's POV

It was about five minutes until Clay caught up with me at the Senior Court. A few other Seniors and I were half-way through stretching in a circle when Clay joined us. After we were done, Clay was "ready."

"But you'll pull a muscle," I said.

"So? Let's get started." I didn't argue. We dueled each other, and I lost. Panting for breath, I trudged to my bag and got out my water bottle as ice-cold water flourished my throat and mouth and all over my hot and sweaty skin. I sat down next to the fence and found Clay sitting next to me panting himself.

"Good game," he said smiling holding out his hand. I shook his hand. "Good game," I said under my breath. After awhile I got up.

"You know what you're doing wrong?" Clay asked. Is this a trick question?

"No. I'm not doing anything wrong," I answered.

"Yeah, you are. Here," he said taking my racket. He stood in a getting-ready-to-swing position. "See?" I shook my head. That's exactly what I was doing. I took my racket back and showed him.

"See? I'm not doing anything wrong," I said. He came and walked around me before he grabbed my arm, then my hand, almost cradling it.

"No. See? You're bringing it back too far, see? It will only be making it all the more easier to pull a muscle." I saw it now. He helped me with my left hand and stance. Still his hands on me, he put his face cheek-to-cheek with me. I felt my face getting hot.

"Ee-yea," I said awkwardly as I turned my face away to hide my blush.

"Ace, are you okay?" Okay? I was far from okay. Too bad I wasn't about to let him know that.

"Yeah, I am. I'm just going to – go get something to eat!" Yeah! That's good!

"Okay, I'll come with you!" he said happily.

"Uh, I don't think that's such a -" then someone cut me off.

"Ace!" I turned around to find Elroy there. Even though I'm senior in doubles, I'm varsity in singles. Elroy has blue hair, glasses that made him look adorable and a white shirt and shorts.

"Yeah, Captain?" I asked.

"Wanna work on singles together? I'll help you," he offered. Oh. My. Gosh. The Academy's Captain was going to help me in singles! Oh my gosh!

"Yeah! Totally!" I ran to the fence, grabbing my bag and yelled back, "Later Clay!"


End file.
